Exceptionalism

Each species has its tools to do what it can to ensure its own survival. We, try our best to separate, and say we are not the same. We pick a trait to denote our exclusivity. Other species prove their relativity. Once it was tools and to our chagrin we found they all were using them and so we redrew the line. Language is what we are good at until we found that dog and cats, parrots and dolphins, chimps and all manner of beasties with tales or not had their own tales to tell. What's left for us to claim as our special trait? I vote for self delusion. It seems to us unique. We murder and convince ourselves it is for peace. We raise boys to be killers and then pretend surprise when they are. We foster hate among each other and pretend it is not really happening. We enslave each other and claim to believe in freedom. We pretend concern for all mankind, yet make sure that few succeed. Yes, I think in all these things, the animal, we far exceed